CRRC-Georgia presents the results of the first interim report on Safer Transit Options for Passengers (STOP)

On September 30, 2016, CRRC-Georgia jointly with the “Partnership for Road Safety” organized a conference to introduce the findings of the interim report on “Safer Transit Options for Passengers” (STOP). The participants of the conference included representatives of the government and non-government sectors, as well as media. The STOP project aims at analyzing the legal framework of the intercity transportation system in Georgia, identification of relevant stakeholders and responsible parties in government institutions, as well as development of relevant recommendations. The project is conducted with the financial support of USAID, through East-West Management Institute’s (EWMI) ACCESS project.

The representatives of CRRC-Georgia and fund “Partnership for Road Safety” discussed two main topics: 1. Intercity Transit Options in Georgia: Attitudes of Drivers, Station Administrators and Passengers; and 2. Intercity Transit Options in Georgia: Institutional and Legal Analysis. Furthermore, the representative of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia made an overview of the Strategy on Road Safety in Georgia.Recommendations presented during the conference include:

Mandatory license for all transports carrying intercity passengers;

Mandatory technical inspection for all the transports covering intercity routes;

Capacity building of drivers and increasing their professional standards;

At the end of the conference, attendees expressed desire to form a working group on safer intercity transit options in Georgia, which will support elimination of existing legal predicaments and propose efficient legislative solutions, which will improve services in the mentioned sphere.

Changes undertaken in past decade were mainly oriented on deregulation of intercity transportation sphere and the attention was driven towards national commitments identified within the international treaties, which regulate international travels. As a result, intercity transportation system became unregulated, where safe and comfortable traveling became dependent on single companies’ and individuals’ will. Existing status quo requires reforms in existing legal framework, which will be oriented on increasing passengers’ comfort and safety and will support establishing balanced competition environment.

The content of the interim report is the sole responsibility of CRRC-Georgia and fund “Partnership for Road Safety” and do not necessarily reflects the views of USAID, the United States Government, or EWMI. To request the report, please contact Mariam Sikharulidze: m.sikharulidze@crrccenters.org